'Shanghai' director Dibakar Banerjee' shoots the Network 18 ad

New Delhi: 'Shanghai' director Dibakar Banerjee, who shot a new ad for the Network 18 group, said advertisements have become products themselves, transcending the brand endorsement messages, connecting to users on an emotional level and staying with them through months and years.

Banerjee, known for films such as Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006), Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008), and Love Sex aur Dhokha (2010), started his career in advertising.

'Shanghai' director Dibakar Banerjee shot a new ad for the Network 18 group.

"Imagine a world where you were tagged for every way that we touched your life. This is a film about that. This is a film about the life in your day," says the tag line. The corporate campaign of the multi-product, multi brand company shows ways in which it daily impacts the lives of millions.

The conglomerate has distinct brands under its umbrella company, each an icon in its own right - Colors, CNN IBN, CNBC TV 18, Nickelodeon, MTV, History Channel, VH1, moneycontrol.com, Forbes, bookmyshow.com, Firstpost.com. Homeshop18, Comedy Central, IBNLive.com among others. The ad shows people tagging anyone impacted by Network 18 with a red post-it until it literally forms a powerful relay. It used the catchy bach ke rehna re baba song as the theme.

"The red post-it was the central idea. Usually corporate campaign, with their holier-than-thou approach, tend to sermonize. We wanted this ad to relate to people, be fun, entertaining, bouncy," said Banerjee who directed the shoot."We wanted to send the message that you cannot escape the Network 18 network," he said. Banerjee, known for his slick ad work, was brought on board because of the sheer scale and scope of the shoot. The shooting took place over five-six days in two cities involving big crowds.

Banerjee said on the list of his own most memorable ads were the campaigns for Nike, the Vodafone ZooZoo and the pug.

"Beyond a point, you have to let an ad do its job, let it go. We tried to make corporate campaign from pedantic to extremely entertaining, appealing to the heart of the people," he said.